Lost the plot...

Jeepers it's been a while since I've been on here!

The last few weeks have been a real struggle for me.

I think the whole scare a few weeks ago was what kicked it off. Being in a position where I was frightened for my unborn baby's life was an incredibly scary thing, and the two weeks of ensuing bedrest, boredom, weight gain, and discomfort just worsened the situation. Add to that a myriad of money problems (why can't some kind philanthropist just leave a million dollars on my doorstep?), insurance problems, and "other family" problems, and some days have just been a bit too much to deal with.

I thought things would pick up after seeing my midwives at the clinic in Australia a couple of weeks ago, and it did a bit, but it has taken me some time to get moving, interested, and focussed on things again.

It was actually Christie's comment that popped up the other day in my inbox which spurred me into action. Whodda thunk that a little checking in message from someone that you've not actually ever met could incite such action and inspiration?! Thank you my friend!

Feeling much better this week after having a friend from Oz visit, and picking up a bit more work, which means more money for Our Monster!

Realised today that I have to fly back to Oz to meet my 36 week cut off date (the airlines won't fly me after 36 weeks) in only 7 weeks! Cue panic organising accomodation and logistics and leave for The Man from work!

Only 7 weeks and I'll be cooling my heels in Melbourne waiting for this sprog to drop!! Exciting!!

The breast debacle...

On Sunday this article about breastfeeding was published in the Sunday Telegraph and on Monday it was published online, here at the Mamamia website.

On Facebook and on chat forums it has been both applauded and ridiculed. Some view it as an uninformed and misguided opinion while others praise the author for targeting perceived bullying and judgement by "lactavists".

One particular person who felt the need to correct some misconceptions that they felt Mia Freedman's article generated and perpetuated was author Tara Moss. She is an ambassador for the Australian Baby Friendly Health Initiative (BFHI).

After reading Mia's Article in the Sunday Telegraph Tara felt it necessary to forward this response to Mia via e-mail, as well as post it on her blog.

On Facebook and on chat forums Tara's response was praised for coming from a place of information and education rather than from pure opinion. Many have also praised Tara's tact and eloquence in her response.


It got me thinking about the whole debacle debate, and I decided to post my two cents worth on here:

While I respect every mother's right to make an informed decision about what is best for her baby, I think people living in developed countries lose sight of the issues that Tara raises about formula and bottle use having the potential to increase infection and disease.

I live in a country where infants, children and adults contract illness, and can die, due to poor water quality. And where parents will spend hard earned money on formula only to mix it incorrectly and with substandard water to give to their babies because they honestly believe that a store bought "white man" product is best for their child.

I have seen sick, malnourished infants, and poor formula practices this with my own eyes, and it's enough to break your heart.

People in Australia and other developed countries mustn't lose sight of the fact that the BFHI is a GLOBAL education initiative, and not simply one facility or organisation being paternalistic. It is not about opinions. It is about evidenced based education.

The World Health Organisation has a global hand hygiene education initiative. It is an evidence based initiative which stems from research and proven theories that hand hygiene reduces the transmission of disease and rates of infection and illness. This initiative has been adopted by institutions and governments world wide, and is viewed to be the basis of good hygiene and disease prevention not just in medical settings but also in the home. Many of us wouldn't dream of not washing our hands after using the toilet, or before eating, because we have been educated as to the risks associated with poor hand hygiene. We don't view this as paternalistic, so why should a global initiative to educate about the benefits of breastfeeding and the risks that may be associated with the use of formula and / or bottles as being such?

Step 6 of the 10 Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, as promoted by the BFHI, states "Give newborn infants no food or drink other than breastmilk, unless medically indicated".

"unless medically indicated" - Voila! There is the key phrase that people are overlooking in this whole "breast politics" debacle. If a mother is unable to produce enough milk, if cracked and painful nipples are inhibiting ones ability to feed, if a baby is not gaining weight as they should be... All of these are medical indications that complemantary feeds with formula, or exclusive feeding with formula would be appropriate interventions! It is up to medical professionals to get behind the BFHI initiative and identify when there are medical indications that may necessitate something other than breastfeeding.

It is not about creating a one rule for all scenario. It is about giving people the right information to allow them to make an informed decision about what is right for them.

What people chose to do with that information is then up to the individual, and that informed choice should be respected, even if it is not the choice that you personally would make.

Well done Tara for bringing some evidence and information to the table to help balance Mia's (less informed) opinions.

Mia printed an apology following Tara's contact, somewhere in the comments section of the Mamamia post. I do think a more identifiable correction might be in order in a more acessible place on the site!

Summary Sunday on a Monday

I totally missed a summary Sunday last week what with the flying back from Oz and the whole scare with the baby on Monday and all.

One might be forgiven for thinking that given all the bed rest I've been doing, I might've got my shit together and prepared for this weeks Summary Sunday. HELL NO!

I give up trying to be organised... I do better flying by the seat of my pants. My ability to procratinate is far too ingrained to be over ridden by the simple purchase of a diary, or the introduction of a to do list.

This whole bed rest bizzo has messed with me too. I've been really flat and down all week and just can't get motivated to do anything, even the manual revisions that I should've completed for a client by now. I just can't get my motor running. :o(

I snuck out of the house this morning to go and teach my language class. I figure after no problems in a week an hour out of the house sitting on my arse wasn't going to hurt me! It felt good to do something kind of productive.

Anywho, here's a summary of the last fortnight of mad gestation.

1. How far along?: 25 weeks 2 days
2. How big is bub?: Our monster is apparently the size of a large sweet potato or an eggplant, measuring in at about 23 cms and weighing in at about 900 grams. A scan last Monday to check on things after the scare showed bubs weighing in at the 900 gram mark already, so we're growing like a weed!
3. Weight gain?: I got on the scales this morning and hit the 90kg mark. That's 3 kgs over my prepregnancy weight and nearly 1 kg of that is baby, so I don't think I'm doing too badly. I seem to be gaining a bit less than a kilo a fortnight. Dear baby, please don't make me a total porker!
4. Stretch marks?: No new ones. Cocoa butter is being used like it's going out of fashion in our house though!
5. Maternity clothes?: A friend of mine has loaned me a big bag of maternity clothes that she bought when she was pregnant. Many of them are too small for me already given I was a size 14 - 16 before falling pregnant (damn you boobs!) and she was a 12 - 14, but some of them will be fabulous for kicking back in! My mum also bought me some comfy clothes the othe week when I was visiting her and they've been really good for kicking back on the couch during "bed arrest". Although it's hard to get the motivation to get dressed when you can't leave the house. :o(
6. Sleep?: I am so sick of waking up at 2 or 3 am!!! It's not even because I have to pee or anything! I just wake up and can't go back to sleep. It makes me sad.
7. Best moment last week?: There weren't really many good moments last week. But getting to see Our Monster on the ultrasound again was cool.
8. Food cravings?: None.
9. Symptoms?: Bleeding gums and mouth ulcers. Zits and sore boobs again. :o(
10. Exercise?: Bed rest. Poo :o(
11. Gender?: Dunno.
12. Movement?: Heaps. Despite the panic, bubs has been rocking and rolling away like mad. And those little feet have spent some time hanging out under my ribs which has felt odd and uncomfortable.
13. Belly button?: Shallow
14. What I miss?: Alcohol.
15. Labour signs?: None
16. What I'm looking forward to: Heading to Melbourne next week for a check up with the clinic and my GTT and visiting my 95 year old grandma.

No belly shot today. I couldn't be bothered taking a photo of my gut.

But before I sign off, I thought you all may or may not be amused to hear that The Man has bestowed a name upon last Monday and it's madness. He swears he's going to tell the baby the story of "the day mummy's vag fell out" as a bed time story... God help us!

Bed rest day 5 - Photographic Phriday

I'm totes over this bed rest bizzo, but am doing what I have to in order to make sure Our Monster is ok!

My arse hurts from sitting on the couch!

Today's Photographic Phriday showcases my bed rest photographic project that I have set for myself this week.

As usual all the pics have been taken with the Instagram App on my iPhone.

5 days, 5 photos, all of the things I can see while on "bed arrest"!

Day 1
- Inkwell Filter

Day 2
- XProII filter

Day 3
- Earlybird filter

Day 4
- Toaster filter

Day 5
- 1977 filter

Bed rest day 4 - Thankful Thursday

Today my three things be thankful for are:

1. My body is healing well - I had another scan this morning which showed that the little abruption in my placenta is healing which is excellent news! Our Monster is kicking away like a trooper! Definitely more active this week since our little scare!
2. My man is totally freaking awesome - The Man is always awesome, but he was especially amazing yesterday, putting up with my crap and tears and tantrums. I am the most freaking lucky human being in the whole wide world! I hope my baby is as beautiful a soul as it's daddy.
3. My cats are beside me all day long - I can't imagine how lonely I'd be without my sweet kitkats! Given I'm sitting on my arse pretty much all day long in front of the telly, it's nice to have some furry friends to snuggle throughout the day. P.S. I have managed to see the funny side of the cat hanging from the tree while doing wees... I just wish I'd taken a picture!

What are you thankful for this Thankful Thursday?

Bed rest day 3 - Happy Birthday to me!

To whom it may concern,

I opened my birthday this morning only to find a rather rank smell emanating from the packaging. I was very disappointed to find that it was rotten.

Today is a dud for the following reasons:

1. This whole bed rest situation is for the birds... I can't go out for lunch or dinner, and of course alcohol is out of the question!
2. The weather is gorgeous outside, yet I'm not suposed to leave the bed / couch, let alone the house!
3. The power company had a scheduled 4 hour power outage this morning from 8:30 - 12:30... bed rest + no TV, internet, air con, or fan???!!! Are you kidding me?
4. The pool is sparkling and cool and refreshing, a lovely escape from this heat... But I'm not allowed to even sit in that either!
5. My mother rang and had a 6 minute conversation with me about how today is the one year anniversary of the Christchurch Earthquake and then she hung up. An hour later she rang back because she remembered that she'd forgotton to wish me "Happy Birthday".
6. It's now 4:30pm, and no word from my father.
7. A bird flew into the house and shit every where.
8. The house girl rang 20 minutes after she should've started to say she wasn't coming in today because she has a "sore knee".
9. Therefore, there is no one to clean up afore mentioned bird shit that is decorating my living room floor, and given the previously mentioned bed rest situation I'm not allowed to pull out the mop and clean it myself.
10. The cat decided to climb a tree and piss (from a great height) all over my verandah... while hanging from the tree.

For all of these reasons, I wish to return my birthday and request a brand new replacement one that functions in the manner which it is supposed to, i.e. full of birthday cheer, excitement, and attention being lavished upon me, rather than general suckiness.

I will happily accept any date available.

Please advise as to how you'd like me to dispose of the stinking mess that is today.

Sincerely,
Yaeli

A panicked day...

So after flying back to Oz last week for a few days because my mum had been sick in hospital (all is ok now hopefully), I got back in one piece yesterday afternoon.

On our way home from the airport The Man and I stopped in at a public meeting about a chicken farm being built in a water catchment area (great for the health of the town... NOT!), and then we decided we were too lazy to cook so we got some take away and came home, had a feed, a dip in the pool and then went to bed.

Early this morning we were having some lovely "mummy daddy time" when all of a sudden we noticed that there was blood everywhere! Cue panicked wrangling of emotions!

Of course this had to happen when my usual doctor is overseas for 6 weeks and so we had to quickly come up with a Plan B that would mean the best possible care for our baby!

Plan B was implemented and another local clinic where I used to work was called. I haven't used this clinic during my pregnancy as the owners are good friends with The Man's ex-wife and I have concerns about confidentiality, and they were pretty nasty to me in the time after The Man and I got together, before I quit working for them.

The doctor at the clinic wasn't a doctor who was there when I worked there, but she was very kind, thorough and gentle and she did an ultrasound which showed that bubs wasn't in any distress and everything seemed ok. Our Monster's heart rate was thumping away at 148 beats per minute and s/he was wriggling around and having a grand old time.

I was sent home on bedrest and called to check in with the doc about the bleeding at lunchtime. Thankfully it had almost stopped.

Another, more detailed ultrasound this afternoon has shown a little placental abruption, where the placenta has come away from the uterine wall, hence the bleeding. Scary shizzle, I tell ya!!

Anyway, after checking in with the doc again this afternoon we now have a firm plan in place for medical evacuation to Australia with Careflight should the bleeding resume, and I've been prescribed a hefty dose of bedrest, which I have also interpreted as couch rest (as there's no way in hell I'm sitting in my bedroom all day with no telly to watch)! No getting up for anything other than going to the loo are my instructions!

This is my view from my perch on our two futons pushed together...

On the plus side according to today's ultrasounds bubs is weighing in at 937 grams and , despite the fact that based on LMP i'm 24 w 2 d, is measuring in on the ultrasound at 25 w 6 d! My EDD based on ultrasound is the 29th of May, although the last time we were in Oz the scan said that we were right on target for a June 9 delivery... this could get interesting!

Photographic Phriday

Over Australia.
Ready to go home now.

Anywho... Here is my favourite Instagram pic that I have taken this week! If you use Instagram you can follow me by searching for missyaeli.

I took this picture last Sunday when we went out to the beach for a BBQ with friends. This beach has always been a special place for The Man and I.

Honeymoon Beach
- Sierra Filter

Thankful Thursday

So I made it to Sydney unscathed, despite my realisation that airplane toilets are not made with fatty fatty boombahs, or growing pregnant bellies in mind.

Note to self: When flying as my girth continues to expand, go wees before getting on the plane. If using the dunny mid flight is absolutely unavoidable, then reversing into the cubicle may be a better option than trying to turn around in such a tight space!

Mum is all good, out of hospital, cheerful, and recovering well! Hopefully we now have a nice clear run to recovery!

My three things that I am thankful for this Thursday are:
1. My mum is ok.
2. I can still fit in an airplane loo with some room to spare.
3. I have e-mail on my mobile phone so I can incessantly e-mail The Man to tell him how much I love and miss him.

What are you thankful for today?

Warning, warning, warning!

So tomorrow I'm off for a few days to Sydney to visit my mum.

Unfortunately, what was supposed to be a relaxing birthday fly by has now become a bit of a mercy dash after mum has suffered a complication following some surgery last week.

Hopefully they get everything under control and sorted and mum can have a few days of relaxation and TLC with me.

Cross your fingers for us!

As a result, Thankful Thursday and Photographic Phriday will be dependent upon health circumstances and internet access, so we'll play it by ear!

Hope you all had a fabulous Valentine's Day!!

Summary Sunday (On a Monday Again!)

The dog ate my home work. That is all I have to say about missing Summary Sunday AGAIN!

1. How far along?: 23 weeks 2 days
2. How big is bub?: According to What to Expect, Our Monster is the size of an ear of corn at 22cms long and 680 grams... That's some heavy corn!!!
3. Weight gain?: Still lingering at about 1.5 to 2kgs above my pre-pregnancy weight.
4. Stretch marks?: No new ones.
5. Maternity clothes?: SO COMFY!!! A friend of mine has offered me a big bag of her maternity clothes to borrow rather than spending big on new stuff.
6. Sleep?: I want more. I struggle to get comfortable and I toss and turn. Once again I was awake a 1 am this morning. Me want sleepies!!!
7. Best moment last week?: My mate C arriving from Australia for a visit and asking before he touched my belly. I LOVE people who ask!!!! Note to others: Just because I'm gestating doesn't mean my belly is public property!
8. Food cravings?: Chocolate, although I don't need it.
9. Symptoms?: I'm starting to get really sore feet and ankles on super hot and humid days... not everyday, just some. But on these days, by the afternoon my ankles are looking a bit puffy and my feet feel like I've been standing all day!
10. Exercise?: Yoga.
11. Gender?: Still don't know.
12. Movement?: More in cooler weather and lots in the evening before bed.
13. Belly button?: Still threatening to pop but not following through.
14. What I miss?: Being comfortable. A good night's sleep. Vodka.
15. Labour signs?: None
16. What I'm looking forward to: Heading to Sydney on Thursday for a quick visit with my mum. Hopefull shouldn't be too stressful! Cross your fingers for me!

Bumparama! Rocking da belleh!!!

Photographic Phriday

Once again Photographic Phriday is upon us... the day when I choose my favourite of my Instagram photos taken during the week on my iPhone.

I couldn't pick just one photo this week, so here's 3.

The first two were taken on our impromptu drive around the island last Sunday, and the third was taken from my local cafe the morning after Cyclone Jasmine passed us.

Which one is your favourite?

Around the island 1
- Inkwell filter

Around the island 2
- Amaro filter

Angry sea
- Hudson filter

Thankful Thursday

Well, we got lucky!
With cyclone Jasmine heading right for us, we battened down the hatches and put up the cyclone shutters and prepared for the worst!

The Kitchen all boarded up...

The rest of the house...

Only for her to do this...

As you can see she became a category 4 cyclone, but managed to slip past between us and Noumea, leaving Port Vila a little wind battered but unscathed.

Some of our southern islands weren't so fortunate though and the category 4 cyclone passed right over the top  of them. For a couple of the islands this is the 3rd time in 13 months that a cyclone has passed over them and crops have been damaged. It'll be a few days before we know the extent of the damage down there, and it'll probably be another week or two before relief is coordinated to get down there!

So this week on Thankful Thursday I am thankful for the following three things:

1. I am thankful that cyclone Jasmine didn't hit us.
2. I am thankful that i don't live in a bamboo hut (like many of the villagers do in Vanuatu), and especially not on one of the islands that Jasmine did hit. And,
3. I am thankful for The Man and for all the wonderful things he provides for us, including food in our fridge, and a sturdy house with a strong roof over our heads.

It's Valentine's Day coming up next week and I'm looking forward to being able to show The Man and the world just how much I adore him. My awesom friend C is arriving from Sydney tomorrow and hopefully he will be able to help me pull off something special for my sweet honey!

What are you thankful for this thankful Thursday?

Circling the wagons...

So, this morning's language class went well! Hopefully I can pull of the challenge of getting the seven participants to be able to converse confidently in Bislama (an English based form of Pigin spoken as the lingua franca in Vanuatu)!

I'm supposed to have another class of six on Wednesday evening, but thanks to Tropical Cyclone Jasmine, it looks like that may be postponed and I'll have to run a make up class next week... not such a good look for the first week of "term"!

Speaking of old TC Jazzy, it seems we're getting conflicting reports about what to expect. (When looking at the maps, please note that we live in Vila, the Nation's capital.)

At midday today the Vanuatu Meteo was predicting this...

The Australian Bureau of Meterology was predicting this...

And the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre was predicting this...

Whichever way it plays out, it's going to get pretty darn close and we're in for some wild weather! Hopefully we won't lose comms, but this cyclone does have the potential to pass right over the top of us, so it may be best to expect a Tropical Cyclone Uma situation and hope for the best!

TC Uma took out much of Port Vila, along with electricity, water, and communications in February 1987. It also wiped out an estimated 95% of housing in Port Vila!

Fingers crossed we don't have that happen again!

The Man's visiting staff member is incapable of listening to reason and still reckons that he's going to be able to fly out to Australia on Wednesday... Hahahahahahahahaha!

Just what I need... A cyclone lockdown for days with my sexy man, a doberman, a retriever, two cats, and a whining staff member!

I told him to start swimming!

Cyloney Summary Sunday

From earthquakes, to severe weather warnings, and now we have a tropical cyclone on its way for a visit. We expect TC Jasmine to reach us late Tuesday or early Wednesday, unless it blows itself out or dramatically changes direction between now and then... Actually I wouldn't mind locking down for a few days with The Man and avoiding everyone, although it shouldn't take a cyclone to get some alone time!

Onwards with today's Summary Sunday (please note it's actually on time this week)!

1. How far along?: 22 weeks 1 day.
2. How big is bub?: This week Our Monster is about 28cms long and should weigh just under half a kilo!
3. Weight gain?: I'm about a kilo (give or take) over my pre-pregnancy weight now, but I feel super porky, especially now that some of my clothes, particularly my jean shorts, are being less accomodating of my growing gut!
4. Stretch marks?: None yet. Yay cocoa butter!
5. Maternity clothes?: I am totally in love with my Bonds maternity singlets. They make my boobs feel so comfy, although people seem to look more at my boobs when I wear them. Less accomodating wardrobe items are falling by the wayside (like the afore mentioned jean shorts) in favour of stretchy, light, non-clinging items.
6. Sleep?: Patchy last week. Some days I feel like I could sleep forever and others I just can't sleep no mater how hard I try!
7. Best moment last week?: Having been so caught up with work it seems like that is the only thing that has comprised my whole last week. It was nice to feel bubs tumbling and kicking away as I spent my days knocking over lesson plans for my new language course.
8. Food cravings?: I'm struggling with food again. Seeming to gravitate towards potato chips and the occasional chocolate, everything else is hit or miss. Although I had a very nice piece of toast with Vegemite and avocado on it!
9. Symptoms?: I'm reflux central this week!
10. Exercise?: Still going with th yoga, but I kinda feel like I should be doing something else...
11. Gender?: Still a surprise.
12. Movement?: Still rumbling and tumbling, although Our Monster gave me a bit of a scare this morning when we weren't up and kicking at our usual time! At least one of us got a sleep in!
13. Belly button?: Shallow.
14. What I miss?: Goats cheese.
15. Labour signs?: None.
16. What I'm looking forward to: I'm looking forward to the start of my Bislama language courses this week. I'm going to be running two a week for 10 weeks. Tomorrow morning we'll know whether or not all the effort on lesson plans etc will pay off! Hopefully too I may get some cyclone induced downtime with The Man, which would be really good, especially considering he has once again worked  much of the weekend!

Here's a picture of my rocking pot belly! I'm looking rather portly!

Have a great week everyone!!!

Quaking in our boots... and Photographic Phriday

Well, nothing like a 7.1 earthquake in the middle of the night, followed by multiple aftershocks over 5.0 throughout the night, to set the cat amongst the pigeons! Everyone in town is banging on about it!
I slept through it and woke thinking I had dreamed the whole thing!

Earthquakes are very common here in Vanuatu as we are situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire. According to Wikipedia, 90% of the world's earthquakes occur on the Ring of Fire!

Not sure it's what Johnny Cash had in mind when he wrote about falling into a burning ring of fire...

Anywho... It's Photographic Phriday = that awesome day when I share my favourite photo of the week that I have taken on my iPhone using the Instagram App! You can follow me on Instagram by searching for missyaeli!

This week my favourite photo is one that I took in the late afternoon after cleaning the pool... It doesn't look so serene now after half the water sloshed out last night!

Reflecting
- Kelvin filter

Thankful Thursday

Almost forgot!

Today my three things for Thankful Thursday are:

1. My bedroom door: Which I can close at night to keep my cats out. I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep no longer playing cat mattress! Little buggers think sleeping on me is a great idea!

2. My friend Kez: Who cracks me up completely and is just a wicked as I am. Her insanity keeps me sane(ish).

3. My language course: Although the set up and course material creation is a hard slog, I'm really looking forward to having a bit more purpose and a bit more money each week! Yay for me! I hope people like it!

What are you thankful for this week?

Rain, rain, go away...

Today is a poo day! I'm over it already!

Crappy grey rainy weather, a long term client dropping me via e-mail at the last minute with very little explanation and even less apology, lack of sleep, potential cyclone advisories, snotty-ness and incessant sneezing, inconsiderate smokers, The Man's stupid staff invading our home, looming deadlines, lack of patience... Today everything seems to be too much!

This made me sad...

So, I baked to take my mind off things for a bit.

I made apple muffins from my Edmonds cook book that my mum sent me a couple of years ago.

From Mummy with love...

Instead of regular oil, I thought some locally produced Coconut Oil would make a nice difference so added a 1/4 cup, which I kind of regret. It doesn't seem to have affected the taste too much, but they don't smell like yummy apple muffins... even through my blocked nose all I can smell is coconut oil, and the delicacy of the cinnamon flavour is lost!

Product of Vanuatu

The final product is passable and reasonably tasty, but I don't think I'll use the coconut oil so much in my baking in the future. If I do, I'll use half/half, rather than substituting coconut oil for the whole required amount.

Anyone want one?

Muffin Madness

Summary Sunday on a Monday (again)!

Ok, so my excuse this week is that all of a sudden I have work coming out the wazoo! I'm busily trying to knock over all the pre-paid work from an Australian client, when out of the blue someone contacts me to run some language classes for them! All well and good (and very exciting), but I now have to put together a 10 week language course and workbook for the classes which start next week!!!

All the while we have been fighting third world telecommunications problems here in the past week (where else in the world can a single air conditioner take down an entire telecommunications system?!), so the ups and downs of the internet have not assisted with getting my work done!

Also over the weekend I have been distracted by the greatness of my pickles, after I cracked open this jar of them and got stuck in... DELICIOUS!!!!

Yum yum yum!!!

Anywho... I hope my excuses are acceptable to the general public! And with that out of the way we can now get on with this week's (last week's?) summary...

1. How far along?: 21 weeks 2 days.
2. How big is bub?: According to What To Expect and Pregnancy Lite, bubs weighs in at about 400 grams and is about the size of a spaghetti squash, measuring in at about 20.3 cms.
3. Weight gain?: The weight it slowly coming on but I think most of it is baby and baby related paraphernalia as I'm only about 1 kilo over my pre-pregnancy weight.
4. Stretch marks?: No new ones! I've started slathering on the body butter after showers in the morning though!
5. Maternity clothes?: I've given in! I bought a couple of pairs of maternity yoga pant things and a couple of Bonds maternity singlets when we were in Melbourne last weekend and have taken to shirking my underwire bras in favour of my super comfortable (but very cleavage revealing) singlets! I'm getting incredibly lazy with my clothes! I've always been big on comfort but this is taking it to another level!
6. Sleep?: Still up and down. Some nights are better than others. I keep waking with pins and needles in my arms!
7. Best moment last week?: Feeling Our Monster's kicks getting stronger... Daddy gets to feel them more and more frequently now!
8. Food cravings?: No food cravings, in fact I'm struggling food apathy again and I'm finding it awfully hard to find things that whet my appetite!
9. Symptoms?: Reflux. :o( And MASSIVE boobs! The man looked like all his Christmases had come at once when the lady at the bra shop in Australia said "Hold on a minute and I'll get you the G cup to try on"!
10. Exercise?: Still doing my yoga twice a week... but I'm toying with the idea of going an extra day or two per week.
11. Gender?: A very wise mummy friend of mine said over the weekend, "If the gender was supposed to be the most important bit then babies wouldn't come out head first". Not a bad theory I reckon!
12. Movement?: Every week it gets more and more although I still think we get more movement in cooler temperatures.
13. Belly button?: Working its way to the surface...
14. What I miss?: Thanks to She, I went on the hunt and found me some pasturised Fetta at the local supermarket, so I'm not missing that any more, but I still miss margaritas and, strangely, cigarettes!
15. Labour signs?: Nope.
16. What I'm looking forward to: Getting some of this work out of the way so I can relax a bit more again!

The bump is looking rather cute rocking out in my maternity pants and singlet!

Photographic Phriday

It's that time again...
Photographic Phriday!!!
Everyone's favourite day, when I share my favourite photo of the week that I have taken on my iPhone using the Instagram App! You can follow me on Instagram by searching for missyaeli!

Harry cat was being a poser this week, but can't help shooting us evil, insolent looks when we try to take photos...

Evil eyes
- Amaro filter

He also decided one afternoon to climb on top of me and check on his baby...

That's my baby
- x-pro II filter

Funny grumpy cat!

Thankful Thursday

I NEED Thankful Thursday today. After teetering on the edge of tantrum territory since 4am, today is one of those days when a time out to look for the good stuff is a necessity!

Thankful Thursday aims to remind myself, and others, that although shit happens, there are still good things in life, even if they're just little things, that we can't forget to focus on.

My three things to be thankful for on this Thankful Thursday are:

1. New work opportunities - Through my yoga class I have reconnected with a lady in town who runs an education centre. She is interested in offering Bislama language classes (the national language of Vanuatu) and has asked me to run them. Only an hour or two a week, but it'll keep me out of trouble (and the extra cash won't hurt either)!

2. My gardener - Who, with minimal fuss and instruction, has our garden looking better than it has for years! At nearly half an acre, and in tropical climes, looking after the garden is no mean feat. The previous gardener only ever did the bear minimum (if that), so it's nice to have someone with initiative and pride in their work doing the job!

3. Metamucil - For helping to relieve me from the agony of pregnancy related bloat and "discomfort". Seriously, it's the shizzle!

What are you thankful for?

Food apathy :o(

Just when I thought my biggest problem would be controlling how much I'm eating, my nasty food apathy has snuck back and again I find myself struggling to think of anything I want to eat despite my ravenous hunger.

An attempt to feed my belly with toast and tomato tuna was foiled when my desire for it disappeared as soon as I served it onto my plate! After forcing down a few bites, I fed it to the dog.

Note to self: Trying to force in something your brain has decided against will only end in tears, although the dogs are extremely grateful!

Pickle Goddess

Some people have claimed recently that i'm nesting, but truth be told I've always gone through fits of homeliness and creativity.

Last week I decided to make pickled cucumbers. Back in September I made pickled cucumbers and chokos (or chayote), and they were delicious. The Man's boss loved them. So knowing that he was coming this week to visit, I decided to make some more pickles and do a bit of a suck up job!
Truth be told, I hoped that by sweetening the deal with pickles, I would miraculously reduce the amount of whinging that goes on when he comes to visit!

So last Monday evening I went to the markets in town and bought some delicious, organically grown cucumbers (the chokos are now out of season), and then I set about working along my pickle production line.

The production line

When I made my last batch of pickles back in September I followed this recipe and I found it very straight forward and easy. The pickles were delicious and they kept for ages in the fridge... In fact I still have a jar from the September batch sitting in the fridge now!

This time, I had trouble finding the recipe that I'd used again (stupid pregnant brain) so I just worked off the top of my head and, surprisingly, came closer to the original recipe than I gave myself credit for at the time!

Last time I used pickling spice from the supermarket, mustard seed, dill, and garlic. This time I used mustard seed, dill, garlic, and onion in varying combinations. I don't like spicy food, but in two of the six jars I also added a chilli from my garden, as I know the boss likes them spicy.

After about an hour of hard labour, cutting, heating and packing, I was left with six glorious jars of pickles (and a fair bit of washing up)!

Yum yum x 6!

For the jars I just used old pasta sauce jars that I had been keeping for just this occasion. I put them through a wash cycle in the dishwasher and filled and sealed them while they were still hot from the washing. Between the lids and the tops of the jar I put two squares of wax paper before tightening the lid, to help give a good seal.

I find that these pickles are delicious on their own, as part of an antipasto platter, on a sandwich, or in a salad (especially in potato salad, where they add a bit of crunch and texture)!

After a week of sitting in the fridge, Mr BossMan cracked open a jar yesterday, and promptly declared them to be "not pickled enough" so they have been left to cure for another while.

I might give them another few days and then crack open a jar myself!

Summary Sunday (on a Monday)!

A bit of a delay to Summary Sunday thanks to our trip to Melbourne for our 20 week scan!
I have a complete human being, of undetermined gender, gestating away inside me! Thanks to our fabulous scan, no one will ever be able to call our sweet child spineless, brainless, or heartless!

We also had a great weekend catching up with The Man's family, including his beautiful, chubby little niece!

Anywho... On to this weeks summary!

1. How far along?: 20 weeks 2 days
2. How big is bub?: As of our scan on Friday, bub was weighing in at 339g. And according to my Pregnancy Lite App, bub is about 25cms long.
3. Weight gain?: It has started... I got on the scales today to find that I've gained nearly 2.5 kgs in the last fortnight. That seems like too much too fast to me, but hopefully it's mostly baby aand baby stuff.
4. Stretch marks?: I've been using nut body butter for the past few weeks and I haven't noticed any new ones yet!
5. Maternity clothes?: Given that the bump has popped, I have succumbed! I bought a couple of maternity singlets and bras yesterday, along with some maternity yoga pant things that were on sale. They are super comfortable! And The Man looked delighted when he heard the magic words "G Cup" in the bra shop!
6. Sleep?: I wish I'd had more over the weekend. I took to having a nap in the car when we were driving which has left me with an awfully sore neck.
7. Best moment last week?: I was going to save it for Photographic Phriday, but this hard won photo sums up my best moment of the week!! How wonderful it was to see Our Monster, hear the heart beat (for the first time), and find out that everything is where it should be! We're still not very cooperative when it comes to scans and photos, so that makes this photo even more special!



Our Monster, showing a strong resemblance to Daddy.

8. Food cravings?: I was desperate for a kebab when we got off the plane on Thursday! Not really any other cravings as such, and I still have incidents of food apathy. But my appetite is back along with my sweet tooth.
9. Symptoms?: Belly ache as everything stretches. And the belly has popped!
10. Exercise?: Back to yoga again tomorrow after only getting to one class last week!
11. Gender?: Still no idea, but as the scan ws being done I did have the thought that it would be a girl.
12. Movement?: We're starting to move and shake on a daily basis now! But The Man isn't feeling it as much as he'd like!
13. Belly button?: So shallow!!! I think we're only a few weeks off the snooze button popping out!
14. What I miss?: Still missing margaritas... But also missing fetta and goats cheese... Fetta, watermelon and mint salad... MMMMMM....
15. Labour signs?: Nope
16. What I'm looking forward to: This week I'm looking forward to getting back to yoga, and I'm hoping that Our Monster will start to kick a bit more for Daddy!

You may remember that last week, the bump looked like this...

This week, we've gone wild and exploded outward!

When I compare the photos I can see where the 2 kilos came from!

Photographic Phriday

Photographic Phriday = that awesome day when I share my favourite photo of the week that I have taken on my iPhone using the Instagram App! You can follow me on Instagram by searching for missyaeli!

This week my photos have taken on a rather botanical lean, and I couldn't decide which one out of these 2 were my favourite...
Which one is yours?

Chillies galore!
- I can't remember what filter I used!

Blossom
- Amaro filter

Scan scanny scan scan

It's 7:15am and I am awake and SO excited for my scan at 11!
We're finally going to get a proper look at this rugrat!!

Thankful Thursday 3

Thankful Thursday aims to remind myself, and others, that although shit happens, there are still good things in life, even if they're just little things, that we can't forget to focus on.

My three things to be thankful for this Thursday are:

1. Friends - Especially those people who come out of the woodwork, unasked, with help, support, and friendship, in times of need. These people are angels!
2. Dickheads - They remind me of who I don't want to become!
3. Planes - I'm thankful that today I get to get on a big plane that will fly me away from this silly little town for a few days in the big city, so I can get scans of my baby, and shop, and enjoy just not being here!

TAG! You're it!

She over at Those Darn Eckersons tagged me to take part in this game of blog TAG!

First Things First, The Rules:

1. You must post the rules.
2. Post eleven fun facts about yourself on the blog post.
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you've tagged.
4. Tag eleven people and link them on your post
5. Let them know you've tagged them!

Eleven Fun Facts About Me:

1. I live amongst the coconuts in tropical Vanuatu, a place best known for being the location of seasons of both American and Australian Survivor.
2. I'm a closet Gleek.
3. I'm married... just not to The Man! Nearly two years ago The Man and I left our respective spouses and got together, but because of the Divorce Laws in Vanuatu, I have to be separated from my ex for two years before I can file for divorce!
4. I used to sing in a band! And gosh it was fun! Performing has always been in my blood, ever since I sang Santa Claus is Coming to Town to the Rabbi at preschool!
5. I always forget to take nail poilish off and have been known to leave it on for weeks and weeks, so I don't wear it very often.
6. I adore daggy 80's / early 90's movies! Dirty Dancing, Top Gun, Ferris Bullers Day Off, Thelma and Louise, and Footloose hold a special place in my heart!
7. I used to hate cats until my two little orphans chose me... Now I can't imagine life without them!



The Orphans at about 6 weeks!

8. I fractured 3 vertebrae in a horse riding accident 8 years ago and was lucky not to end up in a wheelchair! I haven't been horseriding since, even though I love horses.
9. I don't drive. In fact I don't even have a drivers licence, and I never have!
10. I am fascinated by shows like Sister Wives, although I can't quite work out why some religions and cultures advocate having multiple wives, but none seem to advocate multiple husbands!
11. I love, love, love, love, LOVE Yum Cha and dumplings. There is nothing better than tasty handmade dumplings. Every time I go back to where I used to live in Sydney, I always go to this little, out of the way dumpling place that makes the best dumplings in the whole wide world!!

 

She's Questions For me:

1. What's your favorite color? Scarlet and Lapis Blue (Ultramarine I think it's really called).
2. What's your favorite thing about your husband / significant other? I have to choose one favourite thing??!! :o( There is SO, SO, SO much I love about The Man! But if I had to choose one, absolute favourite thing, I think it would be his hugs! No one gives hugs like my Man!! They are the most amazing hugs in the whole wide world!!
3. Do you have / want children? How many? Clearly, from this blog, we have our first child together on the way. The Man has four kids from his previous marriage, and I'm sure will put a cap on us having any more than two. That said, I just want to get through having this one first. I'm not sure yet that I want two!
4. What would you choose as your last meal? DUMPLINGS!!!!
5. What's your favorite bible verse, if you read the bible? As a Jew, the New Testament ain't my bag. And as a non-practicing Jew, the Old Testament doesn't get much of a run in my house either. But as a child I always loved Bible stories, and I really want to get a book of nice Bible stories for my baby.
6. Where is one place you'd like to visit before you die? Easter Island. Who wouldn't want to go visit these guys??



Moai on Easter Island -
http://www.bugbog.com/gallery/chile_pictures/easter_island_pictures_2.html

7. Which room of your house is your favorite and why? My bedroom, because it has my bed in it and I can sleep all day!!!
8. What's your favorite day of the week and why? I love the weekends because I get The Man all to myself!
9. Which store can you never go in without buying something? The supermarket.
10. What is your favorite physical quality about yourself? Emotional quality? My favourite physical quality is my feet. My favourite emotional quality is my passion.
11. If you could be any animal, what would you choose? I'd be a dog... or a sloth... or a chimpanzee... Too many to choose!

I am tagging (only eight because I haven't anymore friends):

1. Chris from My Project 52
2. The Hunts from Love is all we need
3. Tabitha from Nothing better to do than be a mommy of two
4. Natalie from In The Night Sky
5. Bek from Not Going Gently
6. Christie from Ie love
7. Dennelle from I guess this means we're pregnant, AND
8. SarahAnnah88 from The Adams Family

My questions for those I have tagged:

1. Cat person or dog person?
2. Who is your hero, and why?
3. What is the weirdest thing you've ever eaten?
4. What's your favourite book?
5. If you could have 6 people, living or dead, over for a dinner party at your place, who would you invite?
6. What is your favourite song?
7. What language/s do you speak?
8. What is the number one thing on your "bucket list"?
9. How do you like your coffee?
10. Who would play you in a biopic of your life?
11. Which animal would you steal from the zoo, and how would you get it out of there?

And here's the kicker...

The Man and I just felt Our Monster kick!
Not just on the inside, but with hands on my bump!!
SWEET!!!!!
So awesome!!!

Summary Sunday

After my freak out last week and subsequent somewhat hormone induced breakdown worrying over how much this whole child bearing exercise was going to cost us, the heavens opened and this weekend good things have come our way!

One dear friend of mine called on Thursday to say that she had unearthed her sons cot from 20 odd years ago, and offered it to us! And another friend called me yesterday to offer some toys, a super schmick pram, a "possum pack", and a toddler car seat, all for a bargain basement price as she has decided to return to Australia and doesn't want to carry too much stuff back with her! AND The Man's mother called to say that she and her husband would be away around the time of the birth for a month nd they have offered us his house to stay in while they're away, effectively reducing our accomodation bill in Melbourne by half!!

Suddenly I feel like the universe hasn't got it in for me afterall, and I have been reduced to tears by people's kindness and generosity!

On a Summary Sunday note:

1. How far along?: 19 weeks 1 day
2. How big is bub?: According to What to Expect and my Pregnancy Lite app, Our Monster is about the size of a mango or large orange, and weighs between 230 and 240 grams.
3. Weight gain?: Still nada... still loitering around the same mark. I thought I'd put on about half a kilo, but a few days later it was gone... seems to be more bloat and poos than anything! I've had a few people this week who didn't know I was pregnant tell me how much weight I've lost! And another few people have said that I don't look pregnant. It seems that to some people I look pregnant, to others I'm just looking pudgy!
4. Stretch marks?: Still no change, but I am excited at the prospect of having my stretchmark collection added to by someone other than Mr McDonalds!
5. Maternity clothes?: Not yet, but I do need to buy some new swimmers! And maybe some maternity bras... underwire is uncomfortable in the evenings.
6. Sleep?: Early to bed and very early to rise.
7. Best moment last week?: Feeling proper "kicks" rather than just vague "somersaulting".
8. Food cravings?: I've had a couple of moments this week when i've just had to have Vegemite, and I've been eating a fruit salad everyday.
9. Symptoms?: Fatigue, hyperactive sense of smell, headaches, and a few moments of tearfulness.
10. Exercise?: I've swapped over to yoga classes as my stretch class has been cancelled, and they've been great. Only went twice last week, but I'm considering going in an extra day or two if I can fit it in. I keep wondering how I'll go when I reach massive fatty boombah state though! I'm also trying to do a few laps each day when I get in the pool, rather than just beaching myself on the steps!
11. Gender?: It can only be one of two things!
12. Movement?: We're stepping up on the movement front. Things are starting to feel a bit more purposeful!
13. Belly button?: Getting shallower by the week... The Man thinks it's hilarious!
14. What I miss?: Coffee.
15. Labour signs?: None.
16. What I'm looking forward to: Our 20 week scan (at 19 weeks and 6 days) on Friday!! Hope we can get some cool piccies to show off!!

The bump really hasn't changed over the past few weeks. I feel huge, yet people say I don't look any different! You be the judge!

Photographic Phriday

Once again it's Photographic Phriday, that awesome day when I share my favourite photo of the week that I have taken on my iPhone using the Instagram App.

My pregnant brain forgot to note down what filter I used on this photo. I think my sweet Tillycat looks rather Hepburn-esque in this photo.

Tillycat

Thankful Thursday 2

I once heard a story...
One evening, a Cherokee elder told his grandson about the battle that goes on inside people's heads. He said, "My son, the battle is between the two 'wolves' that live inside us all. One is Unhappiness. It is fear, worry, anger, jealousy, sorrow, self pity, resentment and inferiority. The other is Happiness. It is joy, love, hope, serenity, kindness, generosity, truth and compassion." The grandson thought about it for a minute nd then asked, "Which wolf wins?" The old Cherokee simply replied "The one you feed."

Last Thankful Thursday, Christie from over at Ie Love, commented on my post and said "the link between gratitude and well being is something that I find really interesting".

When I wrote the post, in my mind, I didn't make the connection between gratitude and well being. I was too focussed on trying absolutely anything to try and change my perspective on the world and make myself feel a bit better. But Christie's comment got me thinking...

Then, on Monday I stumbled across an except in a magazine at my local cafe that really tied what I was trying to do with Christie's comment about the connection between gratitude and well being!

Let it be said that my local cafe has magazines older than most doctor's waiting rooms! And the excerpt that I found was in an issue of the Australian Women's Weekly from September 2008 (hence I've not been able to locate a copy of the article in online archives), but it still gave me food for thought!

The excerpt came from a book called Happy For No Reason by a lady named Marci Shimoff, and it was based around the theory that each of us has a "happiness set point", or a fixed point of happiness, that is formed both by genetics and by learning, but which we can influence and raise through a series of steps outlined in the book. In simpler terms the premise was that we can think of happiness as a skill and train our minds to be happy, by changing the way we behave and think. Like by noticing the happy things in our  lives, by tending to our relationships, and by finding passion and purpose.

All of this sounded very similar to something I wrote about here not long after I started this blog in December.

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is based on identifying and changing relationships to modes of mind that characterise and contribute to mood disorders, such as depression and unhappiness, through a combination of cognitive therapy, meditative techniques, and the cultivation of mindfulness.

Mindfulness has become a "hot topic" in modern psychology since the 1970's. The term "mindfulness" is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as: "The state or quality of being mindful; attention; regard".
In the context of Buddhism, mindfulness relates to having constant presence of mind and focus in each activity performed.

Very simply put, both this book and MBCT assert that a greater level of happiness can be attained by paying closer attention to what is happening in our lives, and in ourselves in response to things happening in our lives. By having the presence of mind to identify negtive thoughts occuring, or identify things that may trigger negative thoughts, we are then giving ourselves the ability to choose to try to change our responses or thoughts, thereby retraining ourselves to override negative bias and starve our negativity by choosing to feed our positivity instead (to come back to the wolf story).

I suppose, in light of all this, my Thankful Thursdays are less about showing my gratitude (not that I'm not grateful for having good things in my life), and more about starving my negativity, feeding my positivity, and retraining myself to have more positive inclinations.

I don't expect to become a saint and for my Happiness wolf to kill off my Unhappiness wolf, never to be seen again. But I do want to try damn hard to give my Happiness wolf a bloody good head start on things, for the sake of myself, my relationship, and my baby.

Thankful Thursday aims to remind myself, and others, that although shit happens, there are still good things in life, even if they're just little things, that we can't forget to focus on.

So, without further ado, my three things to be thankful for this Thursday are:

1. My pool - I am thankful for my pool for giving me some relief from the dreafully opressive heat and humidity.
2. My pets - I am thankful for my cats and dogs for loving me unconditionally, and for the entertaining and calming influence they have on me.
3. My house - I am thankful to have a roof over my head and somewhere for my child to call home. I may complain about it's history and a lack of furniture, but it is a lot more than many people have and I am a lucky human being to have it provided for me!

What are you thankful for this week?

Oh My Freaking God!!!

Ok, I'm totally freaking after spending last night and this morning looking at baby stuff online...
EVERYTHING IS SO EXPENSIVE!!!

Cots, prams, car seats, change tables, sterilisers, bassinettes, high chairs, bottles, breast pumps, baby capsules... I can't take it!!! Where the heck are we going to find the money for all of this??

Cue hyperventillation...

Gross out...

I had one of the most disgusting experiences of my life yesterday.

A few weeks ago I noticed my roll on deodorant was getting low, so while I was at the supermarket I picked up another one and put it on the bathroom vanity for when the first ran out.

Yesterday morning I had a shower, got out, dried myself off, admired my growing belly, brushed my teeth, and then I went to put on my deodorant. Finally my roll on had run out, so I grabbed the new one off the vanity, whipped the lid off and rolled the deodorant under my arms like it was going out of fashion.

Only then did it hit me. A waft of industrial strength BO came from under my right arm... and from under my left arm... and from the ball of the roll on deodorant!!!! I'm not talking "I've just been to the gym" BO, I'm talking serious "I've been sitting in my own festering sweat for a week" BO!

I couldn't take it. I didn't know whether to cry or throw up!

With tears in my eyes I threw myself back into the shower and desperately scrubbed at my poor skin to get this other persons stench off me, all while The Man stood there listening to me cry and curse and swear, trying to suppress his giggles and amusement at the situation.

What we think happened is that weeks ago before I bought the roll on, some disgusting human being at the supermarket decided to roll the deodorant over their stinky, sweaty underarms and kindly put it back on the shelf for someone to buy. And I was the fool that ended up with it!

Took the shine right off my Sunday that did!

I have resolved never to buy roll on again. I don't care about CFC's and aerosols ruining the environment, as of yesterday I'm not buying anything else!!!

Summary Sunday

1. How far along?: 18 Weeks 1 day
2. How big is bub?: At our scan last Tuesday, Our Monster was found to be meeting all the 17 week targets and was estimated to weigh 209 grams! According to What to Expect and Pregnancy Lite, this week bub should be about the size of a mango or pear... although I would've thought that would be two entirely different sizes!
3. Weight gain?: Still shifting up and down within a margin of about 1 kilo over the week. So not really sure if I'm gaining, but not losing either. People who don't know I'm preggo keep saying I've lost weight, and I think my face is a bit thinner, so maybe baby weight gain and my weight loss are equalising each other... Not that I'm trying to lose weight, I'm just trying to gain it slowly if I must!
4. Stretch marks?: Not that I've noticed, although my boobs get really itchy, and they say that can be a sign of the skin stretching.
5. Maternity clothes?: Not yet, but I'm starting to favour certain clothes in my wardrobe.
6. Sleep?: Still crashing early. Some nights I sleep right through, other nights it's pretty disturbed sleep and I wake at 4 or 5 am.
7. Best moment last week?: My scan on Tuesday!
8. Food cravings?: Not so much cravings, but still hard to get excited about most food. Once it starts sliding down my gullet however, that's another story!
9. Symptoms?: I'm peeing like a racehorse! Breathlessness. Not handling the heat!!!
10. Exercise?: I'm swapping stretch and pilates for yoga this week as the class times have changed at my gym. I'm quite liking the gentle strengthening exercise and it makes me feel better in myself if I'm having a crap week.
11. Gender?: Dunno...
12. Movement?: Squiggling and somersaults.
13. Belly button?: Still there, but The Man stuck his finger in it this morning and reckons it's getting shallower.
14. What I miss?: Coffee... and I would've killed someone for a margharita or a bloody mary this week!
15. Labour signs?: None yet!
16. What I'm looking forward to: Picking out more music for my "Morning Music" sessions, when I sit the iPad or iPhone on my tum for bout half an hour before getting up in the morning and play music for our monster. Everything from Lenny Kravitz to U2. Enya to Madonna. Blink 182 to Sinatra. This baby is going to be rocking!

The bump...